Method of producing chemicals in electric furnaces.



PATEN'IED NOV. 28, 1905.

E. R. TAYLOR. METHOD 0I' PRCDUCING CHEMICALS IN ELECTRIC FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1902. RENEWED FEB. 8. 1904.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 1` PATENTED Nov. 28, 1905.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1902. BENEWED FEB. 8. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD R. TAYLOR, OF PENN YAN, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2S, 1 905.

Application filed June 9, 1902. Renewed February 8, 1904. Serial No.192,715.

To fr/Z/ 7071/0717/ it 'nt/ty concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. TAYLOR, a

2; a round (or equivalent) shape in cross-section, as represented byFigs. 3 and e, with citizen of the United States of America, and ahorizontal shoulders 1 and 2 connecting the resident of Penn Yan, in theState of New York, have invented a new and useful Iniprovementin MethodsofProd uci ng Chemicals in Electric Furnaces, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates primarilyT to the production of bisullid ofcarbon (OS2) by a continuous process, but is applicable in part to otherreactions and reductions.

The 'present invention consists in a novel method of disposing of theresidue in such chemical reactions and reductions in electric furnaces,as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The object is to fuse within the furnace and to discharge in fusedcondition the residue from the carbon and sulfur in the process ofmaking bisulfid of carbon and like difcultlyfusible materials that areliable to accumulate in the bottom of the working chamber of an electricfurnace.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an electricfurnace suitable for carrying into eect the present invention, showingthe same charged and in operation; and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough such furnace, empty, in a plane at an angle of fortyfive degreesto the plane of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section throughone side of the empty furnace on the broken line 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4represents a horizontal section through the empty furnace on the brokenline 11, Fig. 2, indicating' the planes of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively,by broken lines 1 and 2. Fig. 5 represents a section through one of theelectrode-conduits on a larger scale, and Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof one of the electrodeconduits detached.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in all the figures.

The furnace above referred to and herein- -dated the 5th day of August,1902.) Its features of construction comprise a preferred upright orstack form, with three diameters' at successive heights, as shown inFigs. 1 and base a, body b, and dome c; an iron shell 3 common to all; achambered refractory lining 4, of lire-brick or its equivalent,extending upward to a suli'icient extent above the top of said body Z);stuffing-boxes 5 in diametrically opposite pairs on said shell 8,through which insulated conductors (Z, @,f, and g extend into thefurnace from a suitable generator of electricity; suitable insulation 6between said shell 3 and lining 4L throughout; a central working chamber7 within said base a; a commodious feeding-chamber 8 extendingdownwardly to the working chamber and in free communication therewith;au inlet it to said feeding-chamber through said dome c; spaces 9, 10,11, and 12 concentric with said feeding and working chambers and witheach other within the lirebrick lining of the walls; hoppers -21 and y',Fig. 2, upon said shoulders 1 and 2, respectively, provided with plugs13, 14, 15, and 16, which respectively open and close the inlets intosaid spaces 9, 10, 11, and 12 for the admission of fusible material fora given reaction or reduction; acap 73, Fig. 1,to open and close saidinlet t for an infusible or less fusible material for the reaction orreduction, and an outlet Z leading from said dome c for the discharge ofgaseous material.

The lower shoulder 1 of the furnace is further provided with hoppers m,Fig. 1, above the several stufiing-boXes 5, provided with plugs 17 forthe admission of fragmentary conductive material adapted to constituteself renewing electrodes in the working furnace, as represented at D andE, Fig. 1, and passages 'a extend downwardly from such inlets within thebrickwork of the base of the furnace.

Oonduits o, (shown in detail by Figs. 5 and 6,) constructed ofconductive material, are arranged in continuation of said passages awitbin the brickwork of the base and electrically attached, as in Fig.to the several conductors d, c. f, and g. Each of these conduits ispreferably composed of a trough-shaped casting 18. Fig. 5, of suitablemetal, forming back and side walls, and a lining 19, Fig. 5, of carbonbrick, and is, furthermore, preferably constructed with the lower part20, Fig. (i, of its back wall and the lining thereof at an angle toretard the descent of the fragmentary conductive material through theconduit and in the brickwork of the furnace-walls.

to direct the same inwardly toward the midchamber 7, as in Fig. 9

dle of the working chamber, the several conduits being arranged at thesides of the fm'- nace, as shown in Fig's. 1 and 3, and preferably withthe uppe'r portions of their back walls slightly inclined inward, as inFig. 1.

To prevent or resist the passag'e of the electric current directly fromside to side of the furnace or to aid in thus confining the current tothe electrodes at this point, protective walls q, Figs. l, 2, and 3 andFig. 5, of nonconductive material, such as lire-brick, are interposedbetween the several conduits o and the middle of the furnace and arepreferably and conveniently directly superposed, so as to bridg'e theopen side of each conduit, as in Fig. 5, from its upper end, where theelectric conductor is attached to its back, to the upper limit of itsoutlet, where the face of the conduit recedes, as shown at 21 in Fig. 6,to conform it to the preferred spheroidal shape of the working chamber.(Compare Fig. 1.)

Feeding themselves by gravity the electrodes D E descend into the bottomof the working chamber 7 from the outlets of said conduits o and flowtoward each other, as represented in Fig. 1, being' naturally thinnestwhere they come together, and thus affording' the necessary resistanceat this point to convert the electricity into heat. The heat zone ofthefurnace is thus located at the bottom.

To provide for further protection to the several conduits o and for theregulation or control of the operation of the furnace withoutinterfering with the continuity of such operation, feed-pipes .5, Fig'.1, are mounted on said lower shoulder l of the furnace between thelast-mentioned hoppers jm and the body L, and passages t are formed inthe shoulder portion of the iron shell and in the brickwork of the basea leading from said pipes .e into the working chamber '7, as shown inFigs. l and 2. Either conductive or non-conductive material of anysuitable kind that will feed through said pipes or their equivalent maybe supplied thereto and fed by gravity through said passages t into thelworking chamber immediately in front of each or any of the electrodesat will. Such supplemental material is represented at C in Fig. 1.

The carbon, suchas charcoal or coke, and the crushed sulfur for thebisuliid of carbon reaction are represented, respectively, at A and B inFig'. l, the former as descending' within said'feeding-chamber 8 and thelatter as filling the innermost 12 of said spaces with- The introductionof the carbon into the working' furnace is conveniently facilitated by ahopper u. and bell fr within the dome c above said gas outlet Thecrushed sulfur introduced into any or all of said spaces 9, 10, 11, and12 is fused therein by heat of the furnace that would otherwise be lostby radiation, such spaces surrounding' the working' and Fig. 1, anddcscends by gravity toward the heat zone, where it is vaporizedsimultaneously with the heating of the carbon, and the reaction is thuscontinuously effected.

The two outer spaces 9 and 10 preferably discharge into the workingchamber in the plane of the heat zone through ducts 22, Figs. 2 and et,and the two inner spaces 11 and 12 discharge above the heat Zone atdil'li'erent heights through outlets and 2a, Figs. 2 and 3, arranged indifferent vertical planes, so that the fused sulfur may run down theinner walls of the furnace toward the heat zone in separate streams, andthus distribute its coolingl and preserving' effect.

By feeding' the sel f-renewing electrodes into the bottom of the workingchamber and passing' the electric current through the same, asaforesaid, the residue from the carbon and sulfur that would otherwiseaccumulate there as an ash may be and is fused by a suliicient currenttherethrough, and other like difficultly fusible matter may be fused inlike manner. By thus periodically disposing of the ash in the productionof bisullid of carbon the occasional cooling' down to dispose of theaccumulations of ash is dispensed with and the continuity of the processis promoted. A taphole ze, Figs. l, 3, and a, normally closed by astopper .2', provides for periodically discharging such fused residue orproduct. Such taphole ai may preferably be arranged in a different planeinstead of beneath one of the electric conductors, where it is shown forconvenience of illustration. The furnace may be square or of other shapein cross-section. The spaces 9, 10, 11, and 12 within the walls maybeincreased or reduced in number. There may be but one pair of electrodesor more than two pairs, and other like modifications of the furnace willsuggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

The present invention consists exclusively in the novel method oftreating the residue carried into effect by said furnace, as hereinafterclaimed.

The novel process or method of forming self-renewing electrodes and ofcontinuously effecting' reactions and reductions by means of suchelectrodes, including' the production of bisulfid of carbon (05g) bysuch process or method, is hereby disclaimed in favor of thespecification forming part of my divisional application, filed the 24thof January, 1902, Serial No. 91,11%, of which the application `of whichthe present specification forms part is a division. The furnace as amachine or apparatus, with every novel feature thereof,is herebydisclaimed in favor of said companion specilication forming part of saidrenewed application, Serial No. 88,042, (Patent No. 706,128,

dated the 5th day of August, 1902,) of which as originally presentedsaid process application, Serial No. 91,114, is a division.

IOO

TIO

Having thus described said improvement, 1 claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification# 1. In the art of producingchemicals in an electric furnace, the process which consistsin feedingfragmentary conductive material into the bottom of the Working chamber,charging said chamber with material capable of producing a gaseous product, passing' a suitable electric current through such charge by meansof said fragmentary conductive material, discharging a gaseous product,fusing the residue by a sufficient current therethrough, and drawing offsuch residue in fused condition.

2. In the art of making bisulfid of carbon in an electric furnace, theprocess which consists in feeding fragmentary conductive material intothe bottom of the Working charn- M. F. HOBART, O. M. HoBAR'r.

